The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-12-15
COOPERATIVE STORES.

We find the following in the Mer-
cmy from the President of the Ma
tional Alliance. 1t is in reply to an
Alliance which contemplates establish
ing Cooperative Store and desired
the Presidents views. 1t will be of
interest to the Alliance of our State ::
There can be no question that the
great need of the order is co-opera-
ton. We need a determined effort.
one based on thorough knowledge
of all the conditions, firm determina-
ton to make long and vigorous
effort. No exaggerated pictures
should be drawn, neither sanguine ex-
pectations should be indulged Let it
be remembered that constant drop
ping wears away stones, and that slow
plodding, and constant, determined
effort is attended with the greatest
result.
The evils that affect us have been
accumulating and gradually becoming
more and more fixed for years. Our
effort to rid ourselves of them, there
FORE must not be spasmodic effort.
That the pay is more to those engaged
in merchandising and the proceeds a
greater per cent. on the labor and
capital employed, than to those en-
gagged in agricultural pursuits, none
will deny that the profits are excessive
in nearly every instance is equally
true, that we may expect to remedy
these evils by proper system of CO.
operative houses owned by ourselves
is certainly within the range of posi-
bility, but we must not regard the
establishment of cooperative house
a success itself. We must not say
all we have to do to get goods cheaper
is to engage in merchandising on our
own account, neither must we say it is
sufficient to put our funds in a CO.
operative house of our own in order
to gain the cause we seek to.
A Cooperative House fully estab-
lished or trade system receiving our
support cannot be successful for any
length Of time without a moral and
positive effort to assist the cause in it's
combat with all opposition. When
money is invested in cooperative
house with a view to merchandising
fo1 the benefit of our order, the battle
for emancipation has begun. When
we have given such house our sup
port and assistance until it begins to
show signs Of certain prosperity it has
reached it's height, and not until then,
and not until cooperative enterprise
shows signs of unmistakable victory
does the opposition crystalize and
unite their whole force to crush it out
of existence, consequently it should be
remembered that cooperative enter
prises and trade arrangements, or any
of the many plans resorted to to pro-
mote the business we seek to achieve
can only succeed when they enjoy
full confidence and firm support, and
constant assistance of the entire order.
This being the case it behooves the
membership to offer to look calmly
and with deliberate judgment at these
enterprises before embarking in them,
estimate all the obstacles to be over
come and form at least an appropriate
idea of the benefits to be derived.
Perhaps the most common expecta-
ton Of brethren to participate in the
of a cooperative house is
that it will be the means Of reducing
the prices of such commodities as they
expect to consume. They should not
be disappointed in this. They have a
right to expect this much. Neither
should their expectations prove fall
ure but we find that to estimate prices
quoted US relatively is an injustice
for example, if mercantile house,
with which we are now trading, is IN
the habit of selling a certain line OF
tobacco at so cents per pound, and we
cooperative store reducing
the price of the tobacco to 10 cents
per pound, all the consumers Of that
tobacco are 10 cents better off, but the
who has been selling at so
cents, all comes down to 40 cents. .
They are not buying relatively cheaper
from our own cooperative store than
they could from the merchant. Many
who do not look deeper than the sur
face and have forgotten that 1t sold at
SO cents prior to the Inauguration OF
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